Mount Snowdon's name to be changed after 5,000 sign petition

Mount Snowdon is being renamed after more than 5,000 people signed a petition calling for change.

The famous mountain in Wales - the country's highest - attracts around 400,000 walkers a year, but visitors will have to get used to calling it by a different name.

The change comes after calls for both Snowdon and Snowdonia National Park (where the mountain is located) to be referred to by their Welsh names, in order to give people from across the world the chance to engage with the Welsh language.

Off the back of the petition, the Snowdonia National Park Authority took 'decisive action' and voted to use Yr Wyddfa and Eryri rather than Snowdon and Snowdonia, respectively.

The vote means the names will be used in both Welsh and English contexts.

So, if you don't speak Welsh and you're wondering how to say these new names, Yr Wyddfa is pronounced 'Er with-va', while Eryri is pronounced 'Eh-ruh-re'.

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Naomi Jones, head of cultural heritage at the Snowdonia National Park Authority (or Eryri National Park Authority, even), said: "Many public bodies across Wales have moved to use both the Welsh and English names, or the Welsh name only, when referring to Yr Wyddfa and Eryri, as have many of the mainstream English-language press and filming companies.

"This is very encouraging, and gives us confidence that this change in the authority's approach will be accepted for the benefit of the Welsh language and as a mark of respect to our cultural heritage.

"We have historic names in both languages, but we are eager to consider the message we wish to convey about place names, and the role they have to play in our current cultural heritage by promoting the Welsh language as one of the National Park's special qualities.

"The National Park's statutory purposes denotes the requirement to protect and enhance our cultural heritage and provide opportunities for people to learn about and enjoy the special qualities.

"By referring to our most renowned landmarks by their Welsh names we give people from all over the world the opportunity to engage with the Welsh language and its rich culture."

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The change towards using Welsh names in every context is already under way and will continue over time, as publications and interpretation materials are updated.

The park authority hopes this will enable all to familiarise themselves with the new policy and to continue to be able to access the information they need.